I'll Be There For You
by nothingtolose18
Summary: Miley and Oliver are going out. Lily has a boyfriend, too. Great, right? Wrong. Lily's boyfriend is controlling and mean. Who will be there to get her back on her feet, and help her? MileyOliver, LilyOC, that's all I can say without giving anything away.
1. A Night Ruined

**Disclaimer: Sadly, as of right now, I do not own Hannah Montana, or any of the characters except Ben, who is such a _lovely _character to own (NOT!) lol.**

**A/N: **_Italicized writing _**is a flashback.**

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"I am sooo glad that you could come over tonight, Lily!" my best friend, Miley, exclaimed. She scooped up a handful of sour cream and onion potato chips and shoved them in her mouth. 

"I'm glad, too," I said honestly, smiling. I picked up a single potato chip and slowly chewed on it.

"What's with the one chip at a time deal?" wondered Miley. "These are your favorite!"

"Oh, no reason," I said. "Just watching my weight I guess."

Miley was about to open her mouth and reply when Oliver, my best guy friend, wisely broke in.

"Seems like we haven't seen you in forever," he commented. He alternated between reaching for chips and holding hands with Miley. Miley and Oliver date each other. They're majorly in love, but they never exclude me.

"Can't say I'm complaining," joked Jackson, Miley's older brother. He grinned at me.

I picked up a pillow and threw it at him. It hit him square in the face. He gasped and pretended to be hurt, and then whammed it right back at me. Soon, there was an all-out war of the pillows going on.

Then, I heard my cell phone ringing.

"Stop, guys!" I cried, holding up my hand. I got whapped upside the head with a pillow and giggled. "STOP!" I bellowed.

The pillow fight died down, and I flipped open my cell phone.

"Hello," I said, putting the cell to my ear.

"Lily?" asked a voice. It was Ben, my boyfriend.

"Oh, hi Ben," I said, standing up and walking out of the room.

"Where are you?" he demanded. "I called your house, and your mother said you weren't home."

"I'm at Miley's," I said. "Remember? I told you that she was having a little get-together here tonight."

"Why wasn't I invited?" he cried, enraged. "I'm your boyfriend! I should go everywhere with you! I dont want you getting it on with some random guy!"

"Ben," I said as evenly as I could muster, "It's only the four of us here."

"Who's the _four?_" he questioned.

"Miley, Jackson, Oliver and I," I said impatiently.

"And how the hell do I know that you're not making out with that Jackson dude right now?"

"I would never do that!" I cried. "Jackson is just my friend! You have to trust me."

"I don't know ... maybe you should come to my house right now," stated Ben.

"I am NOT leaving yet, Ben! This is the first time that I've seen my friends in a long time!" I realized that I was yelling, and I quickly lowered my voice.

"Fine," muttered Ben, anger turning his voice cold. "We'll discuss this tomorrow. See you."

"See you later," I mumbled, before hanging up. A wave of nervousness washed through me, but I tried to shove it away. I loved Ben, I really did. He could just be a little, well ... a little controlling.

I walked back into the Stewart's living room to find Miley, Oliver, and Jackson staring at me.

"What?" I asked. "Do I have something on my teeth or something?" I kidded, forcing a smile.

"What was that all about?" asked Miley seriously. She looked at me with her big blue eyes, trying to read my expression.

"Nothing," I said. "It was just Ben, asking me where I was."

"Are you sure that's all it was?" asked Oliver. He looked worried. They all did.

"Yes!" I insisted, sitting on the couch. "Now, how about that pillow fight?"

My friends soon went back to normal, but I couldn't function right. Sure, I laughed and pretended that I was having a good time, but I wasn't, really. My phone call with Ben had ruind my night.

At eleven, I decided that I had better go. "I'll see you guys again soon," I said, standing up and stretching.

"Aww, are you sure?" asked Miley. "You could sleep over! You haven't slept over in ages, Lily!"

"No, I'd better not," I said. I knew that Ben would be over at my house early the next morning, and I didn't want him to find me still not home. It wouldn't sit too well with him.

Miley frowned, and her eyes registered a little bit of hurt. "Okay, then."

"I'm sorry, Miley," I said. "I'd really like to, but ... but I think I ought to get home. I'll just call Mom now."

I called my mother, and she agreed to come pick me up. She arrived about fifteen minutes later.

Calling goodbye to my friends, I left the house.

"Wait! Lily!" called Miley, running out of the house after me.

"What is it?" I asked, turning around.

"I'll call you tomorrow," she said, laying her hand gently on my shoulder. "I think we need to have a long talk. Okay?"

"Alright," I murmured. "See you, Miley."

"See you, Lil."

I got in the car and stared out the window as my mother began driving down the road. I didn't really want to leave. I would give anything to stay at Miley's house that night.

The rain pouring down the windows mirrored the tears running down my cheeks. I knew that I wouldn't be leaving yet, or at all that night, if it hadn't been for Ben, and knowing that he would be over early the next day. Why was I so intimidated by him? He was just a guy. But I knew. I knew why I was so scared.

_"Are you ready for our date tonight?" asked Ben, when I opened the door._

_"We didn't have a date for tonight," I said in confusion. "I made plans to go to the mall with Miley."_

_"Forget Miley," complained Ben. "Who's more important? Me, or her?"_

_I didn't know how to answer that. "Well, of course you're important. But so is she, and we already made plans ..."_

_"I don't care!" cried Ben. "We are going on a date, and that is that! Call Miley and tell her that something came up. Tell her you're sick, for all I care. Just get rid of her."_

_"No way!" I cried, standing my ground._

_That was when Ben slapped me in the face._

_And that was just the beginning._

I broke out of my thoughts when we reached our house. I went inside and went straight to bed, calling out a good night to my parents on the way.

A few minutes later, I was snuggled in my blankets with my silk pajamas on, staring at the wall. I was dreading tomorrow with a passion. I was afraid of what Ben could do.

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**A/N: What you guys think so far? I'm only going to write more if anyone actually wants me to. So pleaseeeeee review if you like what you read :)**


	2. A Visit From Ben

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Ben, Trent, and Zoey.**

I finally fell asleep after tossing and turning for a while. I slept peacefully until I was awakened in the morning by the sound of banging on the front door.

I groaned and looked at the clock. It read 8:32. Ugh. I usually slept in until at least 10:00 on a Saturday morning, especially in the summer.

I trudged downstairs as the banging grew more insistent. Finally, I reached the door and yanked it open. Not surprisingly, I found Ben on the front step.

"What took you so long?" he demanded impatiently, shoving his way inside.

"I was sleeping," I said, a yawn escaping as if to further the proof of this fact. I rubbed my hair, which felt and probably looked like a bird's nest.

"Oh. Well, hurry up and get ready," Ben said, sitting down at the kitchen table as if he owned the place. "We've got places to go, people to see."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Well, I thought we'd go over to the basketball game, and meet Trent there. He's bringing his new woman, Zoey. I've got it all planned out and everything," Ben said, looking proud of himself.

"Wow, thanks for asking me," I muttered. I was thinking how much more fun it would be if Miley and Oliver went with us, instead of Trent and this new girl. I didn't like Trent too much. He was a jerk.

"Well, since you've been hanging around with your friends a lot lately, I thought that we could actually spend some time with _mine _today! Geez," grumbled Ben.

Something inside me snapped. "Hanging around with my friends a _lot?!_ Yesterday was the first time that I'd seen them in, like, three weeks!" I screamed. "Ever since I started dating you, it's been what you want to do!"

Ben lunged at me. "Just shut up, you stupid idiot!" he screamed, shoving me against the wall. I slid down and stared up at him, terrified, as he leered down at me. "I own you, and you'd better damn well not forget that! You're nothing without me! Now get up off your fat ass and get your friggin clothes on. We're leaving."

Trembling, I stood. He had crossed the line. I stared at him. "I'm not going anywhere with you," I stated firmly.

He shoved me again, and I fell backwards. My head hit the floor. The last thing I saw before everything faded to black was the crazed expression on my boyfriend's face as he stared at me from above.


	3. A Shock For Miley

**Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing but Ben, the creep.**

Miley Stewart hummed under her breath as she headed for the Truscott house. She was excited about spending the day with her best friend. First of all, she wanted to have a huge discussion with Lily about Ben. There was something about him that, to Miley, just didn't seem right. Secondly, she hoped that they could just chill out for the rest of the day, just the two of them. Miley hadn't seen a lot of her best friend lately, and she missed her.

The first thing Miley noticed was that both of the Truscott's cars were gone, but there was a big black truck parked there. _Who's here? _she wondered. _Is that Ben's truck? _

The next thing Miley noticed was that the front door was slightly ajar. _That's odd, _she thought.

Miley stepped up to the door, and tentatively knocked. In normal circumstances, she would just go in, but she didn't know if she should, what with the truck there and all. When no one came to the door, Miley knocked louder.

Finally, a guy came to the door. Miley looked closely at him. He had dark hair that curled around his ears, and piercing, practically black eyes. From the few times that she had seen him, Miley knew it was Ben.

"Hello," said Miley politely. "I was wondering if I could speak with Lily, please?"

"Lily's not here," Ben said in a gruff voice.

Miley was taken aback. "Not here?" she questioned, confusion ringing in her voice. "Where is she?"

"Uh, I don't know," said Ben, looking at the floor. "I don't know where she's gone, and I don't know when she'll be back."

Miley narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Ben. "Well, could I come in?" she asked, grabbing hold of the doorknob. She had the feeling that something just wasn't right.

"No!" said Ben, yanking the door back. "No, you'd better not."

Miley frowned. "I think I should," she said. She called out, "Lily! Are you in there?"

There was no answer. "I _told _you, she's gone!" cried Ben. "Now, get out of here before I call the police on you for trespassing."

Miley put her hands on her hips. "Ex_cuse _me? I don't think so, buddy."

Ben seethed in anger. "Look, just leave. Just get out of here right now and nothing will happen."

Well, Miley was never one to back down to anybody, especially when it came to her friends. "Let. Me. In. Right. Now." she pronounced with emphasis.

Ben's look turned to one of apology. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to say this, but Lily doesn't really feel like talking to you. She didn't have the heart to tell you, though, so I had to make up that story about her being gone. I'm really sorry, uh ... Miley, isn't it?"

Miley nodded distractedly, looking at him in shock. Part of her didn't believe it. Then again, Lily _had _refused to stay at the Stewart's house last night, hadn't she? And she _had _seen a lot less of Lily in the last few weeks. The more Miley thought about it, the more things seemed to click.

Ben smiled sympathetically. "She doesn't hate you, Miley. She's just kind of sick of you and your boyfriend and your brother. That's all. I guess she just wants some time alone with me."

"Okay," said Miley evenly. She took a deep breath. "Thanks for telling me that, Ben. I've got to go now."

And Miley's eyes welled with tears as she walked away from the house, not once looking back.

This was unfortunate, for if she had, she might have noticed Ben grin wickedly at the way he had handled the situation, then walk into the kitchen to check on his still unconscious girlfriend.


	4. Sweet Talk

**Disclaimer: Again, only own Ben.**

I woke up with a throbbing pain in the back of my head. I was confused. Why was I so achy all over? Why was I on the kitchen floor?

Suddenly, the memories came flooding back to me. Ben shoving me, me blacking out. I knew that this relationship was wrong - very wrong. I had to get out of it.

I sat up, rubbing my paining head. Then I saw him. Sitting at the kitchen table, as if he had just finished drinking a cup of freakin' tea!

"Hi, honey," he said, coming over and extending an arm. I glared at him.

"Don't you 'honey' me," I practically snarled, standing up on my own.

He looked hurt. "Babe, I'm sorry for what I did. It was wrong. I love you, Lily. You are the most important person in this world to me, ever. Without you, I don't know what I'd do. I'd just die."

"I am?" I asked, in spite of myself. "You would?"

"Yes, I would. If you left me, I would kill myself. I can't live without you! Never leave me!" He began to cry.

My heart melted. I couldn't believe this. One second, I was so pissed at him that I could wring his neck. I wanted nothing to do with him. The next, I was all over him again. Well, I couldn't help it. I mean, I couldn't very well let him kill himself, could I? Besides, it was an accident. He said he was sorry. Hopefully, he wouldn't ever do it again.

"Don't worry, Ben," I said softly. "I will never leave you. I love you."

I still did, too. And I truly believed that Ben would change. I was positive that he could do it, if he put his mind to it.

Ben and I spent that whole day together. We just sat at my house, talking. He was very sweet and kind to me the whole day. At the end of it, I was so back in love with him that I had almost forgotten about the incidents at the beginning of the day.

I went to bed that night delighted. I tried to ignore the pain in my head when I moved it a certain way. _We all make mistakes, _I insisted to myself. _Nobody's perfect._

This thought, since it was the name of one of Hannah Montana's songs, made me think of Miley. Didn't she say that she was going to call today, or something? Oh well, maybe something had come up. I decided that I would call her tomorrow.

And so then, ignoring the little warning voice in my head about Ben, I went to sleep and dreamt of him.


	5. True Colours Shown

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I only own Ben, who is a complete jerk.**

When I woke up the next morning, I was in a great mood. I had had a dream in which Ben and I had gotten married, and we had had lots of cute little well-behaved kids, and that he never hurt me again, and spent every day of our married life making up for that day.

I decided to call Miley and ask her to come over. I picked up the phone and dialed the Stewart's house. It rang once, twice, then three times before a very sleepy voice answered. It was Robbie Ray, Miley's dad.

"Hello," he muttered in a sleep-choked voice.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Stewart. Sorry to wake you up. Is Miley there?:

"Yep, sure is. Just one sec, Lilly." He laid the phone down and I could hear him bellowing, "MILEY! PHONE!"

A minute later, Miley picked up. "Hello," she said flatly.

"Hi, Miley! Want to come over today?" I asked her excitedly. "We could go swimming or something. The boys could come too, if you want."

"What, is Mr. Dream Boat unavailable today?" asked Miley sarcastically.

My mouth dropped open. "What are you talking about?"

"You heard me, Lily Truscott," snapped Miley. "You could have at least had the decency to tell me yourself, instead of getting your boyfriend to tell me for you. Thanks a lot. I see how much our friendship means to you."

"What on earth are you -"

Miley cut me off. "Forget it, Lily. It's fine. Bye."

And with that, she was gone.

I stared at the reciever in my hand in shock. What was going on here?

Suddenly, I realized what she had said. _Instead of getting your boyfriend to tell me. _Obviously, something was very wrong here. I never told Ben to tell Miley anything. What had happened yesterday, while I was conked out?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I opened it. There he was.

He beamed at me and planted a kiss right on the tip of my nose. But I just stared at him, hands on my hips.

"What?" he asked, coming in. "What did I do wrong this time, huh?"

"What did you tell Miley yesterday?" I demanded.

"Nothing," Ben replied quickly. A little too quickly.

"Come on, Ben. Tell the truth."

"Well ... I might have ... uh, implied that ... that you didn't want to be friends with her, Oliver, or Jackson anymore. What does it matter, anyhow? You have me!"

I gaped at him. "How could you do that to me, Ben? _How? _You know that they're my best friends!"

He leaned close to me. "_I _should be your best friend," he snapped at me. He grabbed my wrist and gripped it tightly.

"Let me go!" I screamed. "You'll never change! That's it, Ben! We're through! And this time, for good!"

He grabbed me by the other wrist. "Not without having some fun," he replied. He laughed and drew me closer, shoving his mouth roughly over mine.

I jerked away and managed to get my wrists out of his grasp. "Get away from me!" I yelled. I spun around and ran for the front door. Before I could reach it, he had me. Spinning me back around to face him, he punched me right in the eye. I recoiled back and stared at him. I could see no remorse in his eyes. All I could see was hate.

My eye began to swell as I escaped from his grasp once again. I took off, running out the door and dashing down the driveway.

I could hear him behind me. I ran for all I could, knowing where I was going. I had to get to the Stewart's.

He was gaining on me. My heart thudding with exhaustion, I finally caught sight of the Stewart's house. I was on the front lawn when he caught me. He shoved me down to the ground and began kicking me.

"Help!" I screamed in pain. Hot tears poured out of my eyes. "Help me! Help me!"

Jackson stepped outside. He ran over when he saw what was going on. "Leave her alone!" he screamed. He ran over and shoved Ben away from me. "Run, Lily!" he yelled. "Run into the house and call the police!"

I paused for a second. I didn't want to leave Jackson alone with that guy. He saw my hesitation and said, while trying to fend off Ben, "I'll be okay! Don't worry! Just go!"

I didn't wait another minute. I couldn't stand because of the excruciating pain. Instead, I managed to crawl into the house. Miley was just coming down the stairs.

"Miley," I panted, gasping for air. "C - call the police. Tell them to come!"

"What the? Okay," said Miley. She quickly called them and left her address with them. She turned to me. "My God, Lily. What happened? Oh, my God!"

She knelt down beside me and looked at my eye, and bruised stomach. "Who did this to you?" she demanded, tears threatening to spill at any moment.

"Ben," I whimpered. "And he's fighting your brother right now."

Miley helped me up and together we walked to the window. Jackson didn't look too good. "I have to go help him!" Miley cried. She was about to run outside when two police cars pulled up.

They cuffed Ben and hauled him away. This left Jackson limp on the lawn.

"Call the ambulance," I advised Miley. She did so and then together, her and I painfully made our way outside.

"Jackson," I whispered, clutching his hand. He was completely out of it.

I looked at Miley. "He saved me," I said softly.

Miley nodded. Then, I told Miley the whole story, right up until that very moment. Tears began sliding down her cheeks. She and I hugged, her and I both keeping one protective hand on Jackson. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she murmured over and over. "I should have known he was lying. I should have known! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Miley, it's alright," I said. Then I looked at Jackson. "I hope he's okay," I whispered.

Miley nodded her head. "Me too, Lil. I think he will be. Jackson is ... is a fighter," she said, tears spilling again. Then she looked at me. "And what about you, Lily? Are you going to be okay?"

I couldn't move without feeling incredible pain, but I smiled at Miley. "I think I will be," I said simply. She nodded.

That was when the ambulance pulled up. It loaded both Jackson and I inside. Miley wanted to go with us, but they told her that there was no room. She went back inside to wake her father, who had gone back to bed after I had had woken him up with my phone call.

The ambulance attendants gave me some painkillers, and put an oxygen mask over my face. I drifted off to sleep with my hand tightly clutching Jackson's.


	6. Moment of Truth

**Disclaimer: I own no one but the doctor. Ha! The despicable Ben has left the building!**

When I woke up, it took me a few minutes to realize where I was. Ah, that's right. The hospital. Thanks to Ben. Then, I realized that someone's hand was in mine. I turned to look, and my fingers were interlocked with Jackson's. I looked at his face, bruised and bloody because of me, and a lump rose in my throat.

That was when I spotted the movement in the doorway. It was Miley. She fluttered outside, nervously.

"Miley," I croaked. "Come in."

"Hi, Lily," she said nervously. She looked on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, concerned. I tried to sit up but cried out in pain.

"Oh, Lily! Don't do that!" Miley said in alarm. She rushed over and gently tucked me in. "Try not to move around, okay? Just stay where you are."

I began to cry. "Miley, it hurts. What's wrong with me? And what about Jackson? How is he? Why isn't he awake?"

"Shh, shh," Miley said soothingly. "Don't get too worked up, okay?"

"Miley," I said indignantly. "I am not a child! I can handle it! What's wrong?"

"Well," Miley said, biting her lip. "Let's see. First of all, you. You have a couple broken ribs. You may also have some internal bleeding; they're not sure yet. Then, there's Jackson. He may have brain damage. No one knows. He got knocked around pretty good."

I swear, in that moment it was like my heart stopped beating. Time stood still. Jackson with brain damange? No. And it was in that moment that I realized just how much I cared about Jackson. And in more than just a friendly way. I really, really cared about him.

I stared at him. Through all the cuts and bruises on his face, he still looked beautiful to me.

I looked at Miley. Tears stung my eyes. "Jackson doesn't have brain damage, Miley. He can't. He's got too many people who love him. You, your dad ... me."

Miley looked at me closely. "Oh, my gosh!" she laughed through her tears. "You have a thing for my brother, don't you?"

I blushed. "No, I don't," I protested. But she knew that I did, and I didn't care. Jackson was an amazing person.

Then, Robbie Ray and Oliver walked in. "Lily, you're awake!" cried Oliver. He rushed over and was about to practically jump me when Miley grabbed him by the shirt.

"Hold it there, Buster! She's pretty bruised up!"

Oliver settled on just patting my hand instead, and I smiled.

Then, Robbie Ray did the same. "Glad you're awake, second daughter," he smiled at me.

That was when the doctor entered the room, a tall, thin woman with her dark curly hair pulled back in a sophisticated bun. "The test results are in," she said in a crisp voice, and my heart thudded down to my stomach. Here was the moment of truth.


	7. Good News

The doctor cleared her throat. "Well, first of all. You, Lily. I shouldn't really be disclosing this information to anyone outside family. However, since your parents could not be reached, I will tell Mr. Stewart and your friends this. You do not have internal bleeding. Three of your ribs are broken, however, so we need to fix this ASAP. You're scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning at nine. However, you should be fine."

I was happy to hear this, but I was too worried about Jackson to really care much. Miley, Oliver, and Robbie Ray smiled in relief, and Miley gave me a half hug, careful not to hurt me.

"Now, Jackson," said the doctor, and I felt Miley stiffen. My own head snapped to attention. Robbie Ray laid one protective hand on Jackson's shoulder, and Oliver shifted uncomfortably and chewed on his thumbnail.

"The test results are conclusive that Jackson does not suffer from brain damage. His results show that his brain is healthy and active ... " the doctor droned on and on, but I wasn't listening. I was just staring at Jackson, and the grin on my face just kept growing and growing.

Finally, the doctor stopped talking, and left the room. I didn't know what was wrong with Jackson for him to still be unconscious, but from the look of extreme happiness on Robbie Ray's face, I knew it couldn't be too bad.

"Jackson's okay!" Miley cheered, jumping up and down. "Lily's okay! Lily and Jackson are AOK!"

Oliver just beamed, too happy to say a word.

Robbie Ray chuckled. "Thank God," he murmured.

After this excitement, the three of them left for a while. They had to go home, they said, but they promised to be back after supper.

My parents arrived shortly after Robbie Ray, Miley, and Oliver had left. They were shocked to see me in so much pain - my mother cried, in fact - but the doctor came in again to tell them about me, and they were happy to hear that Jackson and I would be okay.

While my parents were there, the Stewarts and Oliver came back again. We were talking and laughing, but I noticed that everyone kept glancing at Jackson. We knew that he was supposed to wake up and be fine, but what if he wasn't? What if the doctor was wrong? The thought was lurking uncomfortably in my mind.

When it came time for my mother and father to leave, they were reluctant.

"Maybe we should stay the night, honey," said my mother. My father nodded in agreement.

"No, you guys, you don't need to do that," I protested. "It's not that I don't want you here, but you need to get some sleep. You can come in first thing tomorrow, before I have my surgery. Don't worry about me, I have Jackson for company."

"Okay, honey," said my father, "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," I said.

"That poor boy," my mother muttered, looking at Jackson. "He protected you, Lily. You could be dead now, if it wasn't for him. I'd like to get ahold of that ass, Ben. Lily, I hope you know that you can never see him again."

"Of course not!" I cried. "I don't want to! Mom, I hate him! I know who I really love. And that is Jackson."

My mother smiled, and looked like she wanted to say something else, but she didn't. Finally, she just said, "Good night, sweetie."

I kissed them goodbye, and they left. Finally, I was alone with Jackson.

I grabbed his hand. "Come on, wake up," I pleaded. "You can do it, Jackson!"

There was no answer, and I sighed. Tears rushed to my eyes. What if he _died, _because of me? Jackson was so brave, so loving. He shouldn't die. He _couldn't _die.

"You can do it, Jackson. I love you. There, I said it! I really do, and it's only now that I realize it. It's not just because you saved me, though. I've loved you for a while. Come on, wake up, so we can be together. Jackson, I can't bear the thought of life without you ..."

He groaned, and my eyes widened with excitement. He was actually waking up!

His eyelids fluttered, and he coughed. Then he looked at me. "Hey there, darlin'," he rasped.

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. You guys are the best:)**


	8. I Love You, Too

"Jackson!" I cried, so relieved to hear his voice. "Oh, you're okay! Thank God you're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" he grunted, rubbing his head. "Boy, am I achey. What happened? Where am I?"

I swallowed hard. He couldn't remember things? Oh, no! What if he had like ... amnesia or something?

That was when a nurse walked in. "Oh, honey, you're up!" she said happily.

"Um, he can't remember some things, though," I broke in, my voice wobbling. What if he forgot me, and everyone else in his life?

The nurse's face took on a look of concern. "Okay, sweetie, can you tell me what your name is, and some other facts about yourself?"

"My name is Jackson Stewart," said Jackson. "My sister's name is Miley and my father's name is Robbie Ray. This girl sitting next to me is Lilly Truscott, one of my sister's best friends."

The nurse glanced at me. "Is this true?"

I nodded, beaming. He was okay!

"That's great," said the nurse softly. "It's normal for people to forget some details surrounding their accident, but if he knows all that stuff, then he is definitely okay. Now, Lilly, you had better go to sleep. You want to be all rested up for that surgery tomorrow. Good night, you two."

"Good night," we chorused, as the nurse left the room.

As soon as she was gone, Jackson practically bombarded me with questions. "What are we doing here? Why are you having a surgery? Why do I hurt all over? Why do we get to be in the same room?"

I took a deep breath. "We're here because of my ex-boyfriend, Ben. Remember? He was beating me up a - and you ... you s - saved me." I stuttered on this last part. What if he hated me because I was the one who got him into this whole mess?

A look of anger crossed over Jackson's face. "Oh, yes. I remember now. That idiot was beating the crap out of you, so I tried to stop him ... but then he ended up giving me quite the beating, too..."

"I'm sorry, Jackson," I whimpered.

"Why are you sorry, Lilly? It's not your fault. It's his. What happened to him after? I'd like to hear he got run over by a truck or something and is now feeling just as miserable as we are."

"Nope, no such luck. He got hauled away by the police. Hopefully he goes to jail for a long, long time."

"Oh ..." Jackson trailed off. "So what's the matter with you? I mean, specifically, for you to have to have a surgery? And what's wrong with me?"

"Well," I said. "I have three broken ribs, so as you can imagine, I'm in quite a bit of pain right now. And you ... I'm not really sure. We thought you might have brain damage, but thank God that you didn't! I think it was a really bad concussion."

Jackson rubbed his head. "I can definitely believe that," he muttered. "But Lilly! Broken ribs! My gosh, are you going to be okay?"

"I will now," I said, reaching out to grab his hand.

He took my hand gently. "Lilly ... I don't know how to say this, but ... I love you. I've loved you ever since you and Miles have been best friends."

My heart practically burst with these words. "I love you too, Jackson. I love you so much."

He sat up quickly and looked at me. "Ow," he muttered, releasing my hand long enough to rub his head. "I shouldn't do that again. But are you serious? Or are you just saying that because you feel that you have to, because I saved you and all?"

"I'm not just saying it," I told him honestly. "I always have. It's just that it finally hit me, sitting here in this hospital, knowing that you could be brain damaged or even die. I don't know what I would do without you, Jackson. You're not only my best friend's brother. You're also the love of my life."

Jackson's eyes welled with tears, and he caressed my hand. "I can't believe it," he murmured, mostly to himself. "She loves me! She really loves me!" Then he turned to look at me. "Just one more question, and I promise that I'll leave you alone. How did you manage to get us in this room, together? Don't they put guys with guys, and girls with girls?"

"I pulled some strings," I replied, my eyes twinkling. I had told the nurses that I couldn't let him out of sight until I knew that he was fine, and after a bit of arguing, finally allowed him to stay with me.

He laughed. "That's my girl. Well, good night, Lil."

"Good night, Jackson."

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews :) This may be the last update for a week or so ... I'm moving out soon and by the time my internet is set up, university will be started. This is my first year so I'm quite nervous and I'm not sure how much extra time I'll have for things like writing fanfics. But I'll definitely try to not leave you in the dark, I like writing these stories too much to leave them unfinished. Thanks for all the support so far, you guys are sooo awesome :D**


	9. A New Worry

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry it's been soooo, uber long! Thanks for your patience, and good luck wishes. :) Thanks for all the reviews, too!**

When I woke up that morning, I felt good. Well, not physically - I could still barely move without sending shivers of pain screaming throughout my body. But mentally, I felt great. I was positive that everything was going to be okay, now that Jackson was awake. I just couldn't wait to get my surgery over with, so that I could start healing and move on.

I glanced at Jackson and saw him looking at me, his big blue eyes concerned. He smiled when he saw me, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness about him.

"Good morning, Lily," he said, kissing my hand. "How are you feeling, Doll?"

"I'm feeling fine," I said, kind of weakly. "I mean, the pain is killing me. But I'm just so happy that you're okay, and that after this we can be together!"

Jackson's smile faltered, and he glanced down at the floor.

"What is it?" I asked, alarmed. "Is something else wrong with you? Do you not want to be with me?"

"No, no!" he cried. "The answer is 'no' to both of those questions."

"Well, what is it?" I demanded. "Tell me!"

"It's nothing," he insisted. "Forget it."

"Jackson!" I hissed. "I want to know what it is! I need to know! Can't you be honest with me?"

He just stared at his hands. Angrily, I turned away. How could I trust him? Why couldn't he tell me what was bothering him? Obviously, something was.

Suddenly, a nurse walked in. "Come on, Sweetie," she said in a kind voice. "Time for you to have your surgery."

I glanced at Jackson. His eyes were wide with fear. "I love you, Lily. Hang in there, Babe. I love you."

"I love you, too," I faltered. Why was he looking at me like that? Why did he look like he was half afraid that he would never see me again after this moment? Oh, no. Suddenly I knew why he was so upset. There must be something worse wrong with me than I knew! Oh, no. Oh, no.

The nurse wheeled me out of the room as I threw a backward glance at Jackson. He was staring after me with wet eyes.

I looked up at the nurse. "What's wrong with me, beside the broken ribs?" I asked in a trembling voice.

The nurse bit her lip and averted her eyes. "Nothing, Honey," she lied. "This will be fine."

I swallowed hard and stared ahead as the nurse wheeled me into an emergency room. There was nothing wrong, right? They had said yesterday there was nothing, beside the ribs. It had to be nothing! Unless they'd discovered something else...

"Okay," said a man with a surgical mask over his face. "Now, Lily, just close your eyes and breathe into this." He put an oxygen mask over my face. I took a deep breath of the perfume-y gas and felt myself begin to drift off. I closed my eyes.

Just before I was completely out of it, I heard the nurse ask the doctor, "You think she'll make it, Doc? She's so young, and what with that punctured liver ..."

"We'll try," grunted the doctor in a determined voice.

Then, everything drifted away into a sea of blackness.

**A/N: Sorry for the sooo short chapter, and also for the facts that may or may not be wrong. I'm no doctor, so if any of these facts are wrong please feel free to tell me. (The method of being put to sleep, by the way, is the one they used on me to set my arm when I broke it, so I know that that's legitimate). Also, I know this is a cliffy! Sorry, my bad lol. I'll try to write a new chapter ASAP!**


	10. The End

**A/N: Sorry guys, sorry! I wish I could update every other day like I used to, but I just can't anymore. This stupid university stuff is driving me to the brink of insanity! Eeek! Anyway, here's the last chapter! sniff enjoy!**

I opened my eyes and coughed. I felt _horrible. _What had happened?

"She's awake, you guys!" cried a familiar voice. I looked up to see Jackson, Miley, Oliver, Robby Ray, my mother, and my father standing over me. Jackson was the one who had spoken.

"What ... happened?" I rasped. My throat felt like it had been scratched by a cat, or something, it was that raw.

"You had a liver transplant, and your ribs were fixed," said my father, tears shining in his eyes. He beamed. "I knew my girl would come out of it okay!"

I blinked. "L - liver transplant? What the ... I thought it was only my ribs."

"That's what we thought, too," Jackson said softly, reaching down to grab my hand. "Apparantly, they discovered the punctured liver after examining the x-ray more closely. They were whispering about it this morning, outside the door, while you were still asleep. That's why I wouldn't tell you, Lily. I didn't want you to worry."

"Oh, Jackson," I whispered hoarsely. I tried to sit up and cried out in pain.

My mother grabbed me gently by one side while Miley grabbed the other.

"Calm down, Baby," my mom said, softly. "You can't go doing that yet, alright? You're not strong enough."

I lay back down and stared up at my closest friends and family, and realized just how lucky I was to have such awesome people in my life.

"I love you guys," I said, staring each of them in the eyes. My gaze held Jackson's for a few seconds longer.

I think everyone got the point, because Robbie Ray stretched and said, "Hey, Miley, how about we go down to the cafeteria to get something to eat?"

"Good idea," Miley said brightly, winking at me and grabbing Oliver by the hand. "We want to go get something to eat, don't we, Oliver?"

"We do?" questioned Oliver, in a confused tone of voice. A quick stamp on the foot from Miley registered an "Ow! Oh yeah, yes, we do."

"I think we'll go with you, Robbie Ray," said my father. He stood and grabbed my mother by the hand. "Come on, Jenny."

My mother patted me on the hand and then left with my father. I was alone with Jackson.

I stared up at him. "Jackson, how are _you _feeling?" I asked him earnestly. I knew that he was so concerned about me that he probably hadn't been thinking of himself much lately.

"Pretty good. Much better now that my girl is out of surgery," he smiled down at me. He reached down and squeezed my hand. "Seeing you lying there, out of it, was scary, Lily. I don't want anything to happen to you. I want us to be together ... forever. I love you."

Maybe this would have scared some people, who would have been put off by his forwardness. I, however, loved it.

"Oh, Jackson, I feel the same way!" I breathed, happily. I was so giddy with happiness that I couldn't even feel my physical aches and pains anymore.

Jackson got down on one knee and I gaped at him.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, softly.

"WHAT?!" I demanded. "Jackson, I'm sixteen! You're eighteen! I don't know what to say! I can't believe -"

"Later."

"What?"

"Marry me later, Silly. Not now. We're still in school. But once you're ready .. whether that's not until two years, four years, eight years, fifty years. I don't care. I'll be waiting for you. Because I love you, Lily. You and no one else," Jackson finished earnestly.

I couldn't speak; I couldn't move. All I could do was cry with happiness that I had such a sweet guy in my life.

Finally I managed to nod. "I _will_ marry you, Jackson," I said, giggling through my tears. "Later!"

He kissed me softly, sweetly, and I kissed back, loving the feeling of having someone who cared about me _so much, _and not in a family or friend way. This was true love.

"I love you, Jackson Stewart," I whispered.

"I love you more, Lily Truscott," he whispered back, and it was in that moment that I knew that everything was truly perfect, and the way it should be.

**THE END!**

**A/N: Was that enough mushy-gushy-Lackson-love for you? Hehe. I'm sooo sad that this story is over :( but ... but ... maybe someday there'll be a sequel? Hmm? Who knows? lol. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE STORY! I LOVE YOU GUYS! YOU ARE AWESOME! xOxOx**


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